JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday said “only BJP can look into” the role of the Chirag Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), which had put up candidates against the Janata Dal (United) in the recently concluded Assembly elections.
During election campaign, Mr. Paswan had repeatedly said that he had put up candidates against JD(U) nominees to “dethrone” Mr Kumar as Chief Minister.
Also read: Nitish Kumar may take oath as Bihar CM on November 16
“Media, NDA and our party men have been watching this…media has been writing on this…what is happening where…my party will also see how our votes were divided and what went wrong where… They (LJP) did damage to BJP candidates also but more to JD(U)... Only BJP can look into this…We’re allies and work together,” Mr. Kumar told media persons at the party headquarters. He was responding to a question on the LJP damaging the prospects of JD(U) candidates on many seats.
The JD(U) was relegated to third position after the RJD and BJP by winning only 43 seats out of the 115 it contested in the 243-member House. In 2015, the JD(U) had won 68 seats.
“This time some people created confusion successfully,” Mr. Kumar added without mentioning Mr. Paswan.“I would request the media as well to analyse who says what and who did what (in the poll),” he added.
When asked if he had staked claim for the post of chief minister, Mr. Kumar said, “I don’t have any claim to make. I’ll follow NDA decision… I’ve no problem in running government for NDA.
Also read: Bihar Assembly election | Nitish Kumar is no longer the poster boy for Mahadalits
Asked when the next government will be formed, he said, “The date has not been fixed yet but tomorrow there is possibly be a meeting of all four alliance partners of NDA in which a decision on the date is likely to be taken.”
However, the buzz in political circles is that Mr. Kumar will take oath for a fourth consecutive term as chief minister on November 16.
“I’ll keep working for the people of the State as development has been done to every village,” Mr Kumar said while adding that he would not “compromise on crime, communalism and corruption”.
On his announcement at the last campaign rally in Purnia that this was his last election, Mr Kumar said, “Kindly see the records as I’ve been saying it on the last day of campaign in every election.”
